Flexible protective headgear

ABSTRACT

A flexible protective headgear device providing a plurality of deformable raised pads to provide cushion against impact and are spaced apart to provide flexibility to conform to a user&#39;s head, the raised pads cooperating to reduce spacing between the raised pads upon flexing, the entire device being capable of being substantially formed from a single material.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present general inventive concept is directed to a device forprotecting a user's head from impact and is suited for use in water.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known in the art to provide a bathing cap that conforms to auser's head. These caps are typically thin and made of a rubber orflexible material and are useful in keeping hair dry or water out of thewearer's ears. A bathing cap does not provide much protection fromimpact that can be experienced when swimming. Impacts can includehitting the bottom of a pool or the sides of a pool and such impactsoccur among experienced swimmers when performing activities such as theback stroke where a swimmer is unable to see the wall of the side of thepool. Other sports including water polo include the potential for impactwith a swimmer's head. One of the persistent problems presented is theneed for a protective cap to conform to a user's head, which requiresflexibility, and the need for protective cushioning which tends to addto thickness and decrease flexibility. A number of improvements on thebasic swimming cap have been patented.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,428 describes a swim cap having a first durometer orthickness covering the crown of the head and a second portion having asecond durometer. This approach provides for a thicker area at the crownof the head, but does not provide protective coverage over the entiresurface of the cap. U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,545 provides a number ofchambers between two layers, the air pockets providing cushioning. U.S.Pat. No. 6,986,168 provides a protective headgear device with foammembers and pads secured to an interior surface to protect sensitiveareas of the head.

With the increased information about the lasting damage fromconcussions, protection of the entire skull, and not just a portion ofthe head, or sensitive areas, is needed. While other attempts have beenmade to achieve protection and address different head shapes, none haveprovided a flexible swimming cap that conforms to a user's head andprovides sufficient cushioning. What is needed is a protective cap thatprovides protection to the entire surface of a user's head, conforms todifferent shapes, stays on without the use of a chin strap, and providesa water tight seal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the invention to provide a protective headgear devicecomprising a hemispherical shell having a first surface and a secondsurface, wherein the second surface of the hemispherical shell issubstantially smooth and the first surface of the hemispherical shellcomprises a plurality of raised pads that are compressible and can becomposed of a deformable elastomeric material. Additional embodiments ofthe invention provide a first section joined to a crown section and asecond section joined to a crown section to form a device having anopening suited for placement on a user's head. It is a further aspect ofthe invention to provide a protective headgear device that is composedof a single material of manufacture, and is cost effective to produce.

These together with other aspects and advantages which will besubsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the present invention, as well as thestructure and operation of various embodiments of the present invention,will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the followingdescription of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 presents a perspective view of a shell as worn by a user in anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 presents a perspective view of a shell with a cutaway showing aportion of a first surface in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 presents a perspective view of a first surface of a shellcomprising a plurality of raised pads in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 presents a side view of a first surface of a shell in anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5A presents a perspective view of a shell comprising a side sectionand a crown section in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5B presents a perspective view of a second side section in anembodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 presents a sectional view of a headgear device as positioned onthe head of a user in an embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferredembodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to likeelements throughout.

The present inventive concept relates to a protective headgear devicesuitable to be worn on the head of a person. The device comprises ashell having a substantially smooth second surface and a first surfaceon which are disposed a plurality of raised pads that provide cushionagainst impact. The concept of the invention is to provide a pluralityof raised pads disposed across a first surface of a shell, with the padsbeing shaped and arranged to allow the shell to be bent, folded,stretched, or configured to conform to the wearer's head. The size,shape, and placement of the pads can be varied to provide theflexibility and coverage necessary to be wearable and to protect auser's head. The size, shape, and arrangement of the pads provides aconfiguration that allows the pads to interface or cooperate with eachother so that movement of the pads towards one another does not resultin significant contact between the pads and does not cause the device ofthe invention to buckle or wrinkle. A staggered pattern of ellipticalpads can provide this advantage as the points of the ellipses can moveinto the spacing between the pads. In this way, curvature of the shellof the invention to conform to a user's head causes the pads to occupymore of the spacing between the pads. The configuration therefore allowsthe cap to flex without buckling, but also when the cap of the inventionflexes, the raised pads move closer together and partially occupy thespacing that exists between the pads when the shell is flat. Therefore,the pads of the invention provide greater protection when worn, as thepads partially occupy more of the spacing between the pads. In anotherembodiment, the pads can be pointed representing a football shape. Whileellipses have rounded sides, a football shape can be pointed at each endand not smooth as mathematically defined by the formula for an ellipse.Herein, “elliptical” can be understood to mean generally representing anellipse and include shapes such as football shapes or oval shapes;shapes that appear to be elongated circular shapes that may not fit thegeometric definition of an ellipse. It is an advantage of the inventionthat it can be manufactured in a single molding operation, and can beformed in one mold, or in a two or three piece mold representing theembodiments of the invention having two or three sections. The variousaspects of the invention are explained in reference to separate sectionsfor clarity; the sections of the invention are contemplated as formingone complete device for being worn.

FIG. 1 presents a perspective view of a shell as worn by a user in anembodiment of the invention. The second surface 120 of the shell 100 canbe substantially smooth. The device of the invention can be reversiblein that it can be worn with the smooth side of second surface 120contacting the user's head, or worn with the second surface 120 facingout. Second surface 120 comprises a smooth side which is relativelyfeatureless and can be a substantially uniform surface. For use incompetitive swimming, smooth surfaces provide less drag or resistanceand are therefore desirable. Second surface 120 can be worn on theoutside to decrease drag. Shell 100 is substantially hemispherical inshape corresponding to the rounded shape of a human head.

FIG. 2 presents a perspective view of a shell with a cutaway showing aportion of a first surface in an embodiment of the invention. Firstsurface 110 is visible within the cutout. A plurality of raised pads isvisible, and the raised pads are positioned in a staggered position sothat the ends of the ellipses of a given row are positioned between theends of the ellipses on the row above the given row, and between theends of the ellipses on the row below the given row. Opening 150 isshown between first border 302 and second border 402. First surface 110comprises a plurality of raised pads. The shell 100 is open at thebottom at opening 150, as is customary for most headwear.

In one embodiment of the invention, substantially all of first surface110 can be covered with a plurality of raised pads being substantiallyuniform in shape, size, and having substantially uniform spacing betweenthe raised pads. These raised pads can be elliptical shaped or ovalshaped in an embodiment of the invention. In an embodiment of theinvention that is the most basic, the raised pads are not differentiatedbetween each other and can be considered to be substantially uniform toconstitute a plurality of raised pads. A plurality of raised pads withsufficient thickness provides cushioning against impact. When the raisedpads are provided with sufficient spacing, the device of the inventioncan adopt a curved configuration without the raised pads touching eachother or otherwise obstructing the flexibility of the device. Arrangingthe plurality of raised pads on first surface 110 in a staggered patternprovides excellent flexibility as well as increasing the protection ofthe raised pads as they converge upon concave flexing of first surface110. In this way the pads cooperate with each other to reduce the spacebetween the raised pads. When the device is placed on a user's head withthe first surface towards the user, the first surface adopts a concaveshape and the tops of the raised pads move towards one another to reducethe spacing between the pads at the user's head.

It has been found that providing additional features improves thefunction of the device of the invention as will be discussed in thedifferent embodiments shown in the following figures. FIG. 3 presents aperspective view of a first surface of a shell comprising a plurality ofraised pads in an embodiment of the invention. In a particularembodiment, first surface 110 comprises a plurality of raised pads.Raised pads are shown disposed on first surface 110, and in thisembodiment, the pads are not all uniform in order to provide increasedflexibility of the device of the invention. In the pictured embodiment,first surface 110 comprises two sections. First section 300 is shown inthis view. First section 300 can correspond to a right or left side ofthe device when worn and optionally can be interchangeable with theother side as worn by a user. First section 300 is shown with numerousraised pads disposed thereon. For clarity, most of the pads are notnumbered. The majority of pads are substantially uniform in shape andsize, for example pads 310, 320, 330, 351, 352, 361, and 362 aresubstantially uniform. These pads can also be called side padsrepresenting their placement within first section 300, and in a groupconstitute a plurality of side pads. Side pads of first section 300 maybe called first side pads to distinguish from pads positioned on secondsection 400, not shown. Since first section 300 can be formed with padsthe same as second side pads of second section 400, the pads can alsobear the same name and be called side pads, collectively. The device cancomprise 79 side pads as shown in FIG. 3, or more or less side pads asis required based on the size of the headgear device and determined bythe size of the side pads and the spacing between the side pads. It willbe understood that a larger device will have more pads of the same sizeand spacing while a smaller device, e.g. a youth size, will have lesspads of the same size and spacing. Increasing the pad size can result infewer pads in first section 300 within the scope of the invention whiledecreasing the pad size can provide for a larger number of side padswithin first section 300. Increasing or decreasing the spacing betweenthe pads can also result in less or more pads, respectively, withinfirst section 300. As shown in FIG. 3, pads are disposed onsubstantially all of said first section 300. Herein, pads covering atleast 80% of first section 300, is considered to cover substantially allof first section 300. First section 300 is generally circular in shape,and can have a straight first border 302 defining a portion of opening150, not shown. First border 302 is a raised, elongated pad that helpsmake a waterproof seal with a user's head.

Side pads in this embodiment are generally elliptical in shape andraised from first surface 110. One embodiment provides ellipses with amajor radius to minor radius ratio of 2 to 1. For example, oneembodiment of the invention comprises side pads having a length ofapproximately 1 inch and a width of ½ inch. Side pads such as pad 361can be made of an elastomeric material that provides a cushioningfunction. One suitable material is silicone elastomer which can also becalled polymer silicone or silicone rubber and has many variations incomposition. Silicone elastomer is widely used and has stableproperties. Polymer silicone is also elastomeric and provides asubstantial cushioning effect against impact when present in thicknessgreater than ⅛ inch. Greater thickness presents greater cushioning asthe amount of the material is able to deform and absorb a force. Whilegreater amounts of pad thickness will provide more protection, theweight of the device becomes impractical at greater pad thickness. Padheight, for example pad height 342, is defined herein as the additionalthickness of the device beyond the thickness of first surface 110. Padheight 342 of truncated pad 340 provides compression and protection fromimpact by absorption of an impact force. It has been found that padheight 342 of 0.125″ to 0.375″ provides cushion against impact withoutan accompanying prohibitive weight. Pad height can be ¼ inch in anembodiment. In an embodiment, all of the side pads shown in firstsection 300 can be substantially uniform in height to provide uniformpad height of between 0.125 inches and 0.375 inches. A manufacturingtolerance of plus or minus 0.01 inches can be pursued, however largervariances such as a manufacturing tolerance providing pad heightvariance of plus or minus 0.09 inches can still provide consistentprotection within the scope of the invention. There is no part of theskull that is immune from impact, and so it is desirable to provideconsistent impact protection across the surface of the device.

Additionally, the spacing of the pads provides for flexibility of theshell. Horizontal pad spacing 350 allows first section 300 to bend orflex in a concave arc that accommodates a user's head. When firstsection 300 is configured in a concave arc, the pads move closertogether, without touching, as the pads converge towards one another.Horizontal pad spacing 350 of 0.06 inches to 0.125 inches has been foundto provide sufficient flexibility to accommodate the typical arc of thehuman head while guarding against gaps between the pads that provide thecushion against impacts. In an embodiment, horizontal pad spacing 350can be 0.08 inches, and approximately 0.08 inches can have a toleranceof 10%. Pad shape can be a variety of shapes, but one particularlyeffective shape is shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 as elliptical suchas side pad 320. Side pad 320 can be 1 inch long and ½ inch wide. Lengthcan vary from ½ inch to 1½ half inches or more. Additionally, the widthof a side pad can vary from ⅛ inch to 1 inch or more within the scope ofthe invention. The side pads of FIG. 3 are elliptical in shape and canbe called an elliptical pad. In an embodiment, side pad 320, for examplecan be elliptical in shape and have a width of ½ inch and a length of 1inch. Other shapes can function within the scope of the invention suchas circles, diamonds, squares, rectangles, or irregular shapes allowingsufficient spacing between the pads of the invention. At the edge offirst section 300, pads may need to be truncated such as truncated pad308, truncated pad 304, or truncated pad 306. At the edge of firstsection 300, pads may be extended such as extended pad 309 or extendedpad 307. In an embodiment of the invention, if a pad would be truncatedto approximately one fourth of the size of the other pads in order toaccommodate an edge or border, it is advantageous to form an extendedpad so as to provide greater stability and ease of manufacture. Extendedpad 307 is formed by joining the partial pad, for which there is space,to a full sized pad to form an extended pad such as extended pad 307 orextended pad 309. Where a pad can be truncated and still provideapproximately one third of the nominal pad area, a truncated pad can beutilized.

Impacts to the skull are often experienced near the front, back, or topof the head when the body is moving in a given direction. It is lesslikely to experience an impact around the base of the skull as theshoulders typically provide some radius of impact defense. Thus it isimportant to provide either truncated pads such as truncated pad 306 orextended pads such as extended pad 309 to avoid gaps near the borderbetween first section 300 and second section 400, not shown. Thisembodiment comprises crown spacing 201 to provide spacing between thepads of first section 300 and second section 400, not shown. Crownspacing 201 also allows the device of the invention to be folded asshown in FIG. 2 for convenience.

The pattern of pads in this embodiment is shown as providing spacingbetween the pads so that bending or folding in the vertical, horizontal,or diagonal directions can be accomplished to accommodate the circulararc of a user's head. The pattern shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3 isstaggered so that the point of one pad 320 is vertically positionedabove the gap between pad 310 and pad 330. This staggered pattern isrepeated across most of first section 300 as shown in FIG. 3. In thisway, bending first section 300 about a horizontal axis, to be concave,causes pad 320 to partially move into the space between pad 310 and pad330. Pad 351 and pad 352 are shown as having horizontal pad spacing 350.In one embodiment, horizontal pad spacing 350 can be approximately 0.08inches, and horizontal pad spacing 350 can be uniform between the padsin first section 300. Pad 361 and pad 362 are shown as having diagonalpad spacing 360. In an embodiment of the invention, diagonal pad spacing360 can be approximately 0.095 inches, have a variance of 10%, and canbe uniform throughout first section 300. Thus, when first section 300 isflexed or bent about a diagonal axis, the diagonal spacing of the pads,e.g. diagonal pad spacing 360, accommodates the movement of the padstowards one another in a diagonal direction. When the first section 300is bent about a vertical axis, the horizontal spacing, e.g. horizontalpad spacing 350, accommodates the movement of the pads towards oneanother. When folded on a horizontal axis, it is the staggered placementof the pads that allows pad 351 and pad 352 to move towards one anotherand into, for example, horizontal pad spacing 350, to accommodate theflexing of first section 300 without the pads touching each other whichwould prohibit the adoption of a smooth arc to cover a user's head. Whenthe device is reversed from the configuration shown in FIG. 3, and thefirst surface 110 is placed around the user's head, the device willadopt an arc equivalent to the rounded shape of the human head. The padson the first surface 110 will move towards each other as the device,including first section 300, adopts a concave configuration. The padspacing in each direction, namely horizontal pad spacing 350 anddiagonal pad spacing 360, will be utilized to allow this increasedcloseness as the side pads converge.

FIG. 4 presents a side view of a first surface of a shell in anembodiment of the invention. This view presents a second section 400that corresponds to the other side of the device shown in FIG. 3. Inthis embodiment, second section 400 is constructed similarly to firstsection 300, not shown. Second section 400 is also symmetrical from leftto right in FIG. 4 and therefore is interchangeable with first section300, not shown, in that section 300 could replace section 400, but alsointerchangeable in that a user could wear the device of the inventionwith either first section 300 or second section 400 on a given side ofthe user's head, left or right. First surface 110 is present as thehemispherical shape of the first surface 110 comprises a first section300, not shown, and a second section 400. Side pads of second section400 may be called second side pads to distinguish from pads positionedon first section 300, not shown. A plurality of side pads are shownpositioned in a staggered pattern. In the embodiment shown here, 79 sidepads are positioned within second section 400. Diagonal pad spacing 460is shown between side pad 461 and side pad 462. Side pads in secondsection 400 may also be called pads or raised pads. Horizontal padspacing 450 is shown between pad 452 and pad 451. Truncated pad 440 isshown at the border of second section 400. Pad 420 is shown positionedabove and between pad 410 and pad 430. The plurality of pads disposed onsecond section 400 combine to provide cushioning from impact while beingspaced apart advantageously to accommodate flexion towards a concaveconfiguration of second section 400 that moves the plurality of padscloser towards each other. First surface 110 is viewable between theplurality of pads. Extended pad 409 is shown at the edge of secondsection 400. Small portions of pad width might be turned or foldedinstead of providing a cushioning effect. Small portions of pads aredifficult to manufacture. Therefore small pad portions areadvantageously joined with another pad to form an extended pad withadded stability such as extended pad 407. Truncated pad 406 is shownadjacent to the edge of second section 400. Truncated pad 404 is shownadjacent to the edge of second section 400. Truncated pad 408 is shownadjacent to second border 402 and is truncated to accommodate thegenerally circular shape of second section 400. Second border 402defines a portion of opening 150 not shown, and helps provide awaterproof seal with a user's head.

FIG. 5A presents a perspective view of a shell comprising a side sectionand a crown section in an embodiment of the invention. Crown section 200is disposed between first section 300 and second section 400 shown inFIG. 5B. The majority of the pads in crown section 200 can be uniformand can have a rectangular cross section such as crown pad 221. Otherregular shapes such as rounded, diamond, or square can also functionwithin the scope of the invention provided crown pads are spaced apartsufficiently to allow the crown section 200 to adopt a concaveconfiguration without touching each other and causing buckling as thecrown pads converge. Crown pads 222, 223, 224, and 225 are showndisposed on first surface 110, in crown section 200, and are alignedlinearly between the pads of first section 300 and second section 400.In order to avoid a crown pad with a small cross section that does notprovide sufficient cushioning, the crown pad near the end of the crownsection 200 is elongated to form elongated crown pad 228. Adjacent toelongated crown pad 228 is shown crown pad 227 and crown pad 226. Crownpad 227 and crown pad 226 are part of the plurality of crown pads thatform a transition from first section 300 to second section 400. Aplurality of crown pads are shown extending across crown section 200 andare shown arranged linearly. First crown gap 230 is present between sidepads and crown pads. For instance, first crown gap 230 presents a gapbetween truncated pad 306 and crown pad 227. When first section 300 isflexed to contour to a user's head, first crown gap 230 allows the sidepads and crown pads to move closer together without touching. Thisallows the device of the invention to accommodate varied geometrieswhile maintaining a smooth contour without buckling. In an embodiment,first crown gap 230 is approximately 0.090 inches and is uniform inwidth between first section 300 and crown section 200. First crown gap230 allows the device of the invention to flex. Additionally, crown pads232, and 234 are spaced apart by crown spacing 240 which issubstantially uniform through crown section 200. In FIG. 5A, crownsection 200 is shown as convex; when the device of the invention isreversed and placed on a user's head, crown section 200 will be in aconcave configuration and crown spacing 240 will allow the plurality ofcrown pads, including crown pads 221, 222, 223, 232, 234 etc., to movetowards each other without buckling or otherwise preventing the deviceof the invention from conforming to a user's head. In this way the crownpads converge towards each other without buckling.

FIG. 5B presents a perspective view of a second section and crownsection in an embodiment. In this embodiment, second section 400 can besubstantially the same as first section 300 as described in FIG. 3 wherethe first section 300 and second section 400 are shown as substantiallythe same. Second crown spacing 430 is shown adjacent to crown pads 226and 227.

FIG. 6 presents a sectional view of a headgear device as positioned onthe head of a user. The section line is shown in FIG. 1. Shell 100 isworn on the head of a user. Second surface 120 is shown on the exteriorand can be substantially smooth for low resistance.

In an embodiment, the entire device of the invention can be manufacturedfrom the same material. The material can be any flexible substancehaving elastomeric properties. Suitable materials include silicone. Amold can be utilized that allows for the entire device of the inventionto be formed in one mold to produce a protective device at a low cost.Injection molding or compression molding can be used to produce aprotective device in the spirit of the invention. Multi-piece toolingcan also be utilized to produce an embodiment of the invention. Thedevice of the invention can therefore be formed from just one material.In the event that a sticker or printing or design can be added to thedevice, it would not then be technically composed of all one material,e.g. silicone elastomer. Contemplating a headgear device with adecorative element or imprinted label or other detailing, substantiallythe entire device would still be composed of a single material.

Different materials can be employed that provide a flexible, malleabledevice that is lighter such as for example silicone foam. The use of afoam provides a lighter and more buoyant device. Additionally, othermaterials such as elastomeric foam or Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) canbe utilized to form a protective device with a low manufacturing cost.Additional suitable materials include latex and silicone. It is anadvantage of the present invention that the use of a mold greatlyreduces the amount of labor required as the device of the invention doesnot require significant assembly. The device of the invention isflexible in its manufacture as it can be created in a mold and differentmolds can be used to produce different sizes and configurations. Forinstance greater pad thickness can be implemented in devices designedfor use in contact sports such as water polo. Smaller cap sizes can becreated for use by children.

It is another advantage of the invention that the device of theinvention is reversible and can be worn with the plurality of cushionson the exterior.

The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from thedetailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claimsto cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fallwithin the true spirit and scope of the invention. Further, sincenumerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilledin the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exactconstruction and operation illustrated and described, and accordinglyall suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, fallingwithin the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective headgear device, comprising: a shellhaving a first surface, a second surface, and an opening; a plurality ofraised pads disposed on said first surface; and said plurality of raisedpads are configured to cooperate with each other upon concave flexing ofsaid first surface to reduce the space between said plurality of raisedpads.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said second surface issubstantially smooth.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said plurality ofraised pads is disposed on substantially all of said first surface. 4.The device of claim 3 wherein said shell is molded as substantiallyhemispherical for placement on a user's head.
 5. The device of claim 4wherein said plurality of raised pads is configured in a staggeredpattern.
 6. The device of claim 5 wherein said plurality of raised padsare elliptical shaped.
 7. The device of claim 6 wherein said pluralityof raised pads have a substantially uniform pad height of between 0.125inches and 0.375 inches.
 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said pluralityof raised pads are spaced apart to provide a horizontal pad spacing ofapproximately 0.08 inches and provide a diagonal pad spacing ofapproximately 0.095 inches.
 9. The device of claim 4 whereinsubstantially the entire device is composed of a single material andsaid plurality of raised pads have thickness of at least 0.125 inches.10. The device of claim 9 wherein said single material is siliconeelastomer.
 11. A protective head gear device, comprising: Ahemispherical shell having a first surface, a second surface, and anopening, wherein said first surface further comprises a first sectionand a second section separated by a crown spacing; said first sectioncomprises a plurality of side pads having a generally elliptical shapeand arranged in a staggered pattern; said second section comprises aplurality of side pads having a generally elliptical shape and arrangedin a staggered pattern; and said opening is suitable for placing thedevice on a user's head.
 12. The device of claim 11 whereinsubstantially the entire device is composed of one material.
 13. Thedevice of claim 12 wherein said one material is a silicone elastomer andsaid side pads have a thickness of at least 0.125 inches.
 14. The deviceof claim 13 wherein said first section further comprises at least onetruncated pad and at least one extended pad.
 15. A protective headgeardevice comprising: a hemispherical shell having a first surface, asecond surface, and an opening, wherein said second surface furthercomprises a first section, a crown section, and a second section; saidfirst section comprises a plurality of side pads arranged in a staggeredpattern, at least one truncated pad adjacent said crown section, and atleast one extended pad adjacent said crown section; said second sectioncomprises a plurality of side pads arranged in a staggered pattern, atleast one truncated pad adjacent said crown section, and at least oneextended pad adjacent said crown section; said crown section ispositioned between said first section and said second section; and saidopening is suited for placement of said device on a user's head.
 16. Thedevice of claim 15 wherein said first section further comprises a firstborder and said second section further comprises a second border andsaid plurality of side pads of said first section and said secondsection are elliptical shaped.
 17. The device of claim 15 furthercomprising a plurality of crown pads having a substantially rectangularshape arranged linearly across said crown section.
 18. The device ofclaim 15 wherein said side plurality of side pads in said first sectionare spaced apart to provide horizontal pad spacing of at least 0.08inches and diagonal pad spacing of at least 0.095 inches, and concaveflexing of said first surface causes said plurality of side pads toconverge.
 19. The device of claim 18 wherein pad height of saidplurality of side pads of said first section is at least 0.2 inches andpad height of said plurality of side pads of said second section is atleast 0.2 inches.